The Malfoy Family
by TabithaMcGonagall
Summary: Narcissa and Lucius present Draco with a bottle of de-aging potion after running from the Battle of Hogwarts. Will Draco throw an almighty fit or give in to pressure and take the potion?
1. Chapter 1

My mother took my hand and my father placed his hand on my back as they led me quickly away from the battle. I stayed completely silent in the hopes that our departure would go unnoticed by both the death eaters and the Order. The Order stood no chance anymore because Harry Potter was dead, in the arms of the oaf Hagrid.

Since the wards protecting Hogwarts had all been destroyed, we only had to cross the bridge before we could apparate. I could hear commotion behind me but I didn't look back, in the same way I didn't look or acknowledge the bodies on the ground as we walked. My mother's hand squeezed tighter around my own as we reached the end of the long bridge.

"We need to apparate home quickly." Father said. I nodded and stepped from their grasp. I spun on the spot to apparate and saw Harry Potter leaping from the arms of Hagrid in the courtyard. I landed in the driveway of Malfoy Manor.

"Did you see that?" I asked my parents who stood beside me. My face obviously showing shock. I tried hard to hide the happiness I felt that he was alive. The Order might stand a chance if Potter was still alive. The Order winning the battle may not mean good things for my family but it would lead to a better existence for most.

"Yes." Replied Father.

"I had to give Potter a chance to win." Mother replied gently. I could see that she expected me to react with rage. I couldn't. He saved my life.

"I'm glad." I admitted deciding not to question how she had helped. My parents both looked at me with equal surprise.

"Let's get our things and leave." Father said and began walking towards the Manor.

Malfoy Manor no longer felt like home. I had seen, done and experienced things there in the last two years that no one should ever deserve to be witness to. I could only hope that no trap laid inside. I followed my parents through the threshold and started up the stairs to my room to get my belongings.

"Draco." Father called me. I went back down the few stairs I had climbed and stood before my parents.

"What is it? I thought I needed to get my things quickly." I asked in confusion. My parents luggage was already by the door.

"Your mother and I have been talking." Father replied.

"That sounds ominous." I retorted, looking at the two of them. They both looked as tired and broken as I was and yet they help it together. More importantly they stayed together.

"Don't be angry Draco." Mother interjected making me wonder what I was going to be angry about.

"We want you to take a de-aging potion." Father said as gently as he could.

"What?" I said in shock. Why on earth would I want to be younger. Youth was no advantage in this world.

"Look Draco, whichever way the war turns out, weather Harry kills the Dark Lord or the other way around, our fate is doomed. Both you and your Father have murdered and I have surely abetted. If we are caught by either side we will be arrested and prosecuted. Weather that means Azkaban or worse, who knows. If we stay together like this we have no chance of being safe, we're so recognisable. I don't think you're ready to be away from us permanently either. If you were a child, we could hide and blend in." Mother said.

"I can look after myself." I sulked. I was seventeen after all. If my age didn't make me a man surely my experiences did.

"We aren't going to force you Draco but this is our best chance." Father assured.

"The Dark Lord will forgive us." I insisted. He would, he liked me too much to kill me for running away. Otherwise he would have killed me long ago.

"He may forgive you Draco but not me or your mother." Father said. I looked at my mother. Her eyes were full of tears and yet she was the strongest person I knew. He would make her suffer until she died, if he wasn't already dead. If perhaps Potter somehow survived, we would all end up in Azkaban. Father may be alright in there, but even a year in there had taken toll on him. Mother wouldn't live for long with dementors near her. She like us had seen too much evil.

"If I do this, you promise we'll be safe?" I asked. I wouldn't allow my mother to suffer for mine and my Fathers mistakes.

"It's our best chance." Mother answered. "We will hide from the magical world and maybe we can do a better job of raising you this time around." She held in her hand the blue bottle of potion. I took it from her.

"Do I drink it all?" I asked. I tried to avoid thinking about what age I might become or if I would even retain my memories. A part of me hoped I wouldn't.

"As much as you can." Mother replied.

I pulled the stopper from the vial and placed it to my lips. Here goes nothing. I drank deeply the thick liquid. It tasted like limes, not a taste I much liked. I drank until the vial was almost empty and I felt my knees give away. Father caught the glass vial from my hands while Mother stopped me from falling hard. I closed my eyes I felt so sick, it was like the potion was churning up my insides and trying to work its way into every vain and every pore. I might have mused that this felt worse than being hit by the sectumsempra curse except I had the mercy of quickly falling unconscious quickly after that.

Eventually the nauseated feeling subsided and I opened my eyes once more. I looked up at my parents towering above me and burst into tears. What was I supposed to do now? My mother reached down and picked me up from the ground, wrapping my clothing around me like a swaddle blanket.

"Shh Draco. Everything is okay." Mother soothed and rested me against her hip. She rubbed circles against my back in an effort to subdue my cries.

"We'd best be going." Father said. He picked up as much luggage as he could carry and levitated the rest in front of himself.

Mother carried me, following behind Father. We left the Manor and walked around it. I felt confused, how could we escape by walking behind the Manor. Maybe they thought that the death eaters or even the ministry wouldn't be smart enough to check behind the Manor once they'd looked for us inside. I realised my cries had subsided for which I was thankful. They had seemed almost out of my control.

Around the back of the house amongst the trees, Father allowed the luggage to fall gently to the floor before flicking his wand. All of a sudden a muggle car appeared. It was large and robust though quite sleek in appearance. A muggle car worth of a Malfoy perhaps. Father opened the boot.

"Which car seat will he need?" Father asked mother as though they hadn't been sure what age I would turn out. I wriggled in mothers grasp wondering how old I had turned out. I was definitely small now.

"Baby car seat without the newborn attachment. I'd say he's nine or ten months old. It's hard to tell exactly." Mother answered. Nine or ten months? I lifted my hand up to my face to see tiny fingers. How invariably creepy. I let my hand fall back down and tried to ignore its size. I looked over to see Father installing the car seat on a back seat in the car. Why weren't we going to apparated away?

Mother wondered around to the boot and laid me down inside it. I wriggled at how uncomfortable it was. She unwrapped and removed the clothes I had been wearing and placed them into a bag in the boot beside me. I shivered in the cool air and began feeling embarrassed that she had me laid in the boot with nothing on. I whimpered quietly as she lifted my legs and fastened a diaper around me. I hadn't really thought any of this through when my parents had suggested the de-aging potion. Not being able to look after myself would take some getting used to. My whimpering turned into sobs as mother began manovering me into a fleece onesie. Once I was fastened in she gently picked me up and held me close. I relaxed a little and mother began using her wand with her spare hand to levitate the luggage from the ground into the boot where I had just laid. Father came over to help and I gave in putting in all my effort to keep up with what they were doing. I was so tired I rested my head against mothers shoulder.

"I'll put Draco in the car seat." Father said. He took me from my mother's arms and sat me in the big squishy seat. I tried hard not the meet my Fathers gaze as he fastened the buckles and tucked a blanket in around me. I felt a little embarrassed not being able to do it for myself.

Father got into the passenger seat and mother into the driver seat. It stunned me a little as she started the engine that she knew how to drive at all. It made more sense though than father being able to drive, the Dark Lord had kept him so close and busy he would never have found the time to learn in private. I still didn't understand why we weren't apparating to our destination. As the car rumbled through the trees and out onto the road I stopped caring. I looked out of the window beside me and watched the clouds go by. Everything would be okay.

_Thanks for reading! Please review if you would like me to write another chapter! Rx_


	2. Chapter 2

I sat in my crib fighting the urge to make enough noise to wake Mother. Two weeks had passed since the Battle at Hogwarts and I'd begun to get used to being so close to her, though I wasn't sure that the feeling was mutual.

Mother and Father had made a pact when we arrived at the small terraced house to use no magic unless it was an emergency and so far they had stuck to their guns. Father already had investments in the property market and took this opportunity to expand his business into the muggle world. Mother seemed at odds with whether or not she wanted to work but she didn't say much to me about it. She struggled to talk to me as a seventeen year old which at times had us at odds. I could barely talk myself and her talking in gobbledegook didn't help.

We had no indication of who won the Battle at Hogwarts. Father had listened to the muggle news on the radio and things seemed to have calmed down but there was no certainty. Really it didn't matter. We were stuck hiding either way and just had to get one with things even though it was taking time to adjust. Trying to deal with both adult and baby emotions was tough for me to handle. Aunt Bella had taught me both occlumency and leginimancy which as an adult made me very good at concealing my emotions. The only problem now was that anytime I was mad or upset or even tired, tears erupted from my eyes and wails from my mouth and I struggled to hold those back. Natural instincts were taking over.

"Draco." Mother said getting up from the bed her and father slept in. I grabbed onto the crib bars and pulled myself to my feet.

"Mom." I replied quietly. My knees decided they wouldn't hold me up any longer and I fell back down onto my bum. A whimper escaped my lips as they began trembling.

"You're alright Draco, there's no need to start crying." Saying so didn't help though. I swallowed the cries but tears ran down my cheeks.

"Mom." I said again. She picked me up from the crib and began rocking me back and forth. Through my tears I could see Father stirring awake. I felt bad, I really had tried to be quiet in my crib. I wasn't certain that he had been ready for me becoming so small either. He had never been one for waking up early.

"I suppose it's time to get up." Mother said gently. She got me ready for the day before carrying me down stairs for breakfast.

I was placed into my high chair and buckled in. It didn't matter how many times Father had explained that being buckled into my high chair and car seat were for my own safety because I was now so little, I still didn't like it. I wriggled and kicked my legs until Mother placed a small bowl of cereal in front of me and passed me the spoon. My co-ordination wasn't the best but it was well established that I didn't like other people feeding me.

There was a knock at the door. Mother suddenly went on high alert and father's footsteps could be heard making their way down the stairs. Mother disrupted my breakfast in favour of picking me up and holding me tight. I squirmed and wriggled and started to cry.

"Cissa." Father called. Mother stepped out into the doorway, shushing me as she went.

I turned to see an overly enthusiastic woman and her bubbly husband at our door with a fruit basket.

"We just brought this over from the residents committee to welcome you to the neighbourhood. We live right across the street." She smiled. I debated throwing a tantrum to see if that would make them go away.

"I'm Jerry." Father stepped forward and shook the man's outstretched hand.

"Thank you." Father said in an attempt to be pleasant.

"Julia. Might we come in?" Asked the woman. Father reached behind us and before I knew what was going to happen, pinched my thigh between his finger and thumb. I burst into tears in shock and wailed loudly.

"Maybe next time, he's been a temper tantrum waiting to happen this morning." Father said coyly as he shut the door and mother carried me into the living room.

"Was that really necessary, Lucius?" Mother frowned at him as she took a tub of cream from the table and began applying some to my thigh. My first childhood had not hurt this much. Whenever I hurt myself there was magic to heal me with nothing more than a flick of mother wand. Now it seemed I was always covered in cream.

Although I could see father's idea that me crying would be a good excuse to send them away, it really hurt. I got more and more worked up as someone knocked at the door once more. Mother pulled me closer and I sobbed into her dress as father went to answer the door. "It's alright Draco, he didn't pinch hard." She soothed although I could tell she was mad at him too.

"We need to leave Narcissa. Get Draco in the car seat." Father bellowed. Mother quickly carried to the corner where the car seat stood and struggled to detatch me from herself. Eventually she pried my fingers from her dress and began fastening me in.

"No one knows I'm here Mr. Malfoy. I swear." Blaise Zambini stepped into the living room and my crying abruptly ceased. Father stormed in after him.

"Bley Bley." I said mostly to myself.

"I've been helping at the Ministry. They sweeped the Manor for evidence and I noted an empty vial of de-aging potion on the list." He looked over to me wriggling in the car seat. "I was worried and.. What on earth have you done to him?" He looked at my bright red thigh in disgust.

"It was an accident." Father snapped. "Now get out of my home and don't come back." He yelled at Blaise. I burst into tears and instinctively stuck my arms out towards Blaise. I didn't want father to hurt him. Maybe he could protect me.

"Bley Bley." I cried. Blaise pushed past my Mother and took hold of the car seat. He span on the spot and the room disappeared.

I discovered that side along apparation was significantly more distressing than regular apparation. We landed right outside the gates at Hogwarts. I realised that they must have replaced the wards which prevented apparation. Blaise quickly began walking towards the castle and sent a patronus using his wand as we walked. Although it was a pleasant summers morning I was really very cold. My legs and arms were bare and I only had a very thin baby grow on. After a few more minutes of walking it seemed to occur to Blaise that this might have been the reason I was still crying. He placed down the car seat and took off his jumper before wrapping it around me. I ceased crying and gripped onto the jumper tightly. Blaise set off at his brisk walk again.

"You know Draco, only your parents could come up with such an elaborate plan as to de-age you and hide away like muggles. It might have even been fool proof if your Mother hadn't had driving lessons from my Mothers current husband. I mean, I knew our Mothers wrote to each other because I spent a few summers with you at the Manor whilst she married various husbands but I didn't think they knew each other enough to discuss her many Husband's jobs. Especially since Barry is number fourteen. I don't even know why I'm telling you this, you probably can't understand." He sighed and walked faster. Of course I could understand, de-aging potions were magical after all.

"Bley." I said as condescendingly as a ten month old could.

"You can understand?" He asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Eh." I replied. Talking was completely embarrassing, hopefully it wouldn't be much longer until I could string words together.

"Just when I thought things couldn't get more weird." Blaise said. I watched as the castle entrance doors flew open and Professor McGonagall descended the stairs and headed towards us. I put my thumb in my mouth and sucked on it. My stomach was still hungry from hardly eating breakfast and the thought of more people seeing my like this made my stomach hurt even more.

Professor McGonagall approached us.

"It really is Draco Malfoy?" She asked as she looked down at me. I shied away from the intense gaze and shut my eyes tight.

"In the flesh." Blaise confirmed.

_Please review if you want me to write more. I'm trying to make the end of each chapter a natural stopping point in case I decide not to continue. Thanks, Rx_


	3. Chapter 3

_Lucius_

At the disappearance of Draco and Blaise I ran frantically upstairs to find my wand. How dare that foul scum take baby Draco. I would make him pay if it were the last thing I did. I could feel my only chance for doing a better job of raising Draco slipping from my grasp. I threw open the wardrobe door and pulled the box down from the top self, took out my wand and raced back down the stairs to find my wife crying on the floor.

"Cissa, I'll bring Draco back. Don't worry." I said trying to soothe my tone.

"He's gone. My baby is gone." Cissa cried hysterically clutching Draco's teddy bear to her chest.

"Wait here." I demanded as I turned on the spot.

I landed gently on the roof of the Hogs Head and moved quickly behind the chimney stack out of sight. I looked intently towards Hogwarts and spotted Blaise carrying Draco up the path. Maybe if I moved quickly I could be in and out with both of them before anyone would notice. As I made my plan however I spotted Minerva McGonagall rushing down the path to meet them. Unexpectedly she looked right at me. I froze, horrified that she had seen me. Arms reached tightly and unexpectedly around me, dragging my backwards, falling from the rooftop..

_Draco_

I sat at the end of my crib, holding onto the bars tightly so that I wouldn't fall back. My little legs between the bars as I looked about the room in the early morning light. An age seemed to have passed in a day and although I was at Hogwarts the room was unrecognisable. It was a very large open room at the top of a newly built accommodations tower. My crib was in the centre of the room surrounded by six beds. Blaise was directly in front of me, sleeping peacefully on his stomach. Harry Potter was very much alive and in the bed beside my Slytherin friend. Next to him was Hermione Granger and beside her Ginny Weasley. The last two beds contained Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom. They were all helping with the clean up and rebuild of the castle and each intended to study at Hogwarts of another year. I was surprised that Potter hadn't gone off to become an Auror but it seemed that his commitments lay to helping with the recovery of the school, at least for the time being.

"Bley." I said quietly, wanting for him to awake and no others. Hermione and Ginny seemed to think my being a baby was quite hilarious and I wasn't sure I could take any of their sarcastic coo's this early in the morning. Harry and Neville seemed to think I deserved my fate for being a death eater but also seemed to sympathise with Blaise who had been taking care of me. As I thought of Luna's interested reaction to seeing me in this form she appeared in front of me.

"I'd sing you a lullaby but it may awaken the others." She said in a whispered tone as she reached down to me and unhooked my hands from the crib bars. "Sleep is much less likely when sat upright." She continued as she moved me away from the bars and tried to tuck the blankets around me as I wriggled. I pushed down an unnatural urge to start bawling and instead shut my eyes pretending to be asleep in the hopes she would go away. Her somewhat maternal reaction to me had me worried. After all she had spent quite some time locked in the cellar at Malfoy Manor under my watch.

I heard her move away and dared to open my eyes again. I thrust my arms free of the bedding and was instantly distracted by my now very tiny dark mark. Dark was the wrong word, it and the area around it had turned red and become inflamed. I prodded at it and whimpered at the intense burning I felt at contact.

"Mom." I cried tearfully. I rolled over and buried my head in the mattress, squeezing the blankets tightly in my fists trying to fight off the strong cries I felt coming. "Mom." I cried and lost control, it turned into sobs which I tried to muffle by pulling the blanket over my face.

Strong hands scooped me up from the crib and Blaise cradled me in his arm. I turned my head and cried in to his chest in embarrassment.

"Shh Draco, you're okay." Blaise said and gently rocked me. I tried harder to stifle my cries and instead sniffled loudly. I raised my arm without looking hoping he might notice my painful arm.

"Is he okay?" I heard Ginny ask Blaise. "Gosh look at his mark." She exclaimed.

"That looks. Bad." Blaise said quietly. "I'm not sure what to do." He admitted to Ginny.

"I'll wake Hermione. Maybe she knows a soothing charm." Ginny suggested.

Blaise carried me over to his bed and he sat resting against the headboard, me sniffling quietly now. I looked up at him to see if he was mad that I had cried like Father always was. If anything he looked worried though he was watching Ginny wake Hermione. I looked out to see and noticed Harry getting up silently. Everyone was awake, I noticed as I watched Hermione approach.

"Sorry to wake you Hermione." Blaise said to her as he shifted my into a sitting position for her to better look at my arm.

"I was half awake anyway." She said although I wasn't sure if it was the truth. Blaise held my hand and stretched my arm out. I wriggled as hard as I could until he let go and stubbornly I clutched my arm in the other hand so that they couldn't get it back.

"What do you think? I can wrestle his arm free again if you need another look." Blaise questioned.

"Hrmph." I moaned indignantly, he would do no such thing.

"I can do some reading into dark marks. Maybe if I know more about them I'll be able to find a solution. In the mean time apply some cooling salve." Hermione suggested.

"I do know some things about the dark mark. Draco used to boast about it in the privacy of the dorm room in sixth year. I know that it's widely believed that they are created by branding as in burning. It's not true. It's actually a tattoo, the ink is infused with Voldemorts blood. There were other things too, odd rituals performed on the ink." Blaise tried to help.

"Admittedly I thought that they were burnt into the skin." Harry piped in.

"Here." Ginny said. Blaise moved to take the salve from her. He put it down on the bed and tried to lay me down on the bed next to it. I clutched at Blaise in an effort to stop him but he had no shirt to cling to. I blushed red at being laid out in front of the people gathered around the bed.

"Draco I need to put some salve on your arm. Try not to wriggle right off the bed." Blaise said , leaning over me with the big tube. I rolled over onto my stomach so that I wouldn't have to look at the peering faces. "Well, that works too." Blaise lifted my arm from the bed and started gently rubbing the salve over the little dark mark. It stung horribly at the touch and I snatched my arm away as tears sprung to my eyes. I was embarrassed by how easily pain bothered me now. Before the de-aging potion I had any and all emotions in check. Blaise turned me over and grabbed for my arm to apply more salve but I kicked and screamed ungracefully.

"Let me help." Potter suggested, sitting on the bed and pulling me onto his lap. He maneuvered me so that he had one hand on my chest to hold me still and the other hand rubbing gentle circles on my back. I tried my hardest to keep up the screaming so that he wouldn't know that he was doing a good job of calming me down but I didn't manage to keep it up for long. Blaise rubbed the salve onto my arm as I flopped against Harrys hand.

"We should go down to breakfast. We have a long day of cleaning and rebuilding the quidditch stadium." Hermione interrupted the calm which had settled. To my utmost displeasure Blaise asked Harry to help with changing and dressing me and by the time we went down to breakfast I felt like I'd lost every ounce of dignity I possessed.

The great hall was a ghost of its former self. There had been so much death and destruction in the once magical hall that it seemed like it should have been left as a memoriam. It seemed wrong being carried over to the table of staff, students and other witches and wizards who showed up to help with the clear up efforts. It was too ominous a place to be eating. I had refused to eat at all since Blaise took me from my parents and my stomach was beginning to feel a pang of hunger seeing racks of toast and stacks of pancakes. Blaise sat down between Harry and Professor McGonagall, settling me carefully on his lap. Blaise knew that I would not be forced into a high chair.

I sat staring at McGonagall whilst she ate. I wondered amused if I could make her uncomfortable enough to stop eating. She was completely unfazed, I might as well have been a ghost. I fidgeted impatiently whilst Blaise ate toast and spilled crumbs on my clean clothes. I could hear Granger giving out duties for the day's work.

Without warning Blaise was pushing the teat of a bottle into my open mouth. I squirmed and tried to get away but his hand held the back of my head so that I couldn't move. I took deep breaths through my nose and avoided even getting close to sucking on the bottle. What a trick! An embarrassing trick. Did he really think I would drink a bottle of milk? He moved the teat around in my mouth until it rubbed gently against the roof, I tried to push it out and in doing so squashed the teat and a burst of milk flooded into my mouth. Sweet warm milk. I swallowed it and squirmed some more. I felt the milk trickling down my throat and right down to my stomach. It made my stomach feel much better. I tentatively sucked gently once on the bottle not wanting the warm feeling to go away. If it was possible, it tasted and felt even better than the last. I drank again and again until half the bottle was gone and Blaise was pulling it away from me.

"No. No." I cried. Why would he give me the warm milk and then take it away before I was done? I looked about the room, every eye on me. How ridiculous I was being, wriggling around and crying and yet I couldn't get the tears to stop. Blaise swiftly leant me forwards and rubbed gently at my back.

"It's okay Draco. You can have some more milk in a minute." Blaise said soothingly. I looked at my bootie clad feet trying to ignore everyone watching me. The booties were blue and had elephants on them. It gave me an idea for a great business. Everyday suits for babies. Without warning I burped loudly and looked about in embarrassment. Before I could create a fuss however, Blaise tipped me back slightly and pushed the bottle back into my mouth. I drank deeply.

By the time I sat back up, leaning against Blaise I noticed that the owl post had arrived. Packages were strewn about the table. Luna excitedly opening a letter, Neville happily opening a big parcel. Hermione was reading the quibbler and Ginny a letter.

"Here." Harry said from behind me. I ignored the voice in favour of feeling sorry for myself that all the milk was gone.

"Thanks." Blaise replied, taking something from Harry. Blaises hand came around my side clutching a teddy bear snake. "A snake for a baby snake." Blaise placed the snake on my lap and curled my hand over its body just below the head. It was apple green with black stitches for eyes. I clutched it tightly and resting against Blaise, shut my eyes sleepily.

_Please review if you would like me to write another chapter. Suggestions are welcome too, Rx_


	4. Chapter 4

_Lucius_

"Cissa what on earth were you thinking?" I questioned heatedly.

"I'll never get my son back if you end up in Azkaban Lucius. You didn't notice McGonagall motioning to the pub owner that you were on the roof?" She snarled at me. I hadn't seen, he must have been right in front of the Hogs head. I could have kicked myself for not noticing.

"It's too late now, I don't know how to get him without getting caught." I admitted defeated. Narcissa sat down against a huge tree stump on the floor of the forbidden forest.

"Sit with me." She said gently, motioning to the space beside her. I sat begrudgingly, the horrid muggle clothes would be filthy.

"I could send threatening letters or I could threaten the first person to leave the castle to go back and get Draco. We could set the forest alight!" I exclaimed trying to think of more drastic solutions to our problems. Setting the forest alight would certainly be an excellent crime but I wasn't sure how it would result in getting baby Draco back.

"I will get our son back Lucius." Narcissa mused with confidence.

"I suppose you'll just walk up to the castle and ask nicely." I snarled. She was certainly a good mother but ending up in Azkaban herself wouldn't help either.

"I will. Not before I write a letter to Harry Potter though and see the reply." She said, not taking bait for an argument.

"Harry Potter isn't going to keep a dementor from sucking out our souls Narcissa." I sneered.

"Harry Potter is our only chance of getting away from here with Draco. He would be dead if not for me, just as Draco would be dead if not for him." Narcissa pointed out.

"Then he owes us nothing." I replied almost in question.

"That's where you're wrong Lucius." Cissa stated.

"No. Potter saved Draco and you saved Potter. That makes us even." I pointed out.

"Not everything is black and white Lucius. You don't remember the story of Anton Hog?" She asked curiously.

"From the children's fairy tale? My mother read it to me as a child. Anton Hog, a clueless pure blood." I replied deep in thought. Anton Hog was prey to his older brother who would play many potentially fatal tricks on Anton. Each time with some spark of luck he was saved. Eventually he was saved three times by his best friend Ted Chancy. Over time Anton grew obsessive with protecting Chancy. Not understanding why, Anton visited a great wizard for advice. Being saved three times by one person had resulted in Anton oweing a life debt to Chancy. Eventually Anton's protective stalking became too much for Chancy to handle, he threw himself into a battle with the intention of being saved by Anton. The battle resulted in the deaths of both Chancy and Anton.

"How many times do you think Harry has saved Draco's life?" Cissa asked me curiously.

"Twice?" I questioned, a worried cold in my stomach.

"I don't know Lucius. For all I know it could have even been three times. If it is three, Draco needs to be as far from Harry as possible. Our son is a defenceless baby. Even if it is two, the further apart they are the better. The less chance there will be of a life debt being owed." Narcissa decided.

"Are you sure the tale is based on truth?" I asked, linking my fingers with hers.

"Completely." She said sadly.

"We need to get a letter to Harry in with the morning post. I'll intercept an owl in the morning." I laid out a plan. Narcissa pulled a piece of parchment and a muggle pen from her bag. "Make it convincing." I urged.

_Draco_

I was very almost asleep when Harry asked to talk to Blaise alone. To my displeasure I was dumped in Ginny Weasleys lap. I tried to wriggle away but she put her hand up to hold me still, I promptly bit her finger.

"Bloody Baby." She squealed and shoved me onto Hermione who tactically laid me over her arm so that I couldn't get close enough to bite. I tried to roll off when she laid me back but she quickly pulled a blanket up over me and around my arms in a swaddle. I roared in frustration as she cradled and rocked me gently.

"Ginny you should go see madam Pomfrey." Hermione told Ginny who was clutching her bleeding finger.

"Of course Malfoy would have a full set of fangs as a baby." Ginny snarled.

"He doesn't Ginny, he's just ornery." Hermione protested.

"Could have fooled me. I'll see you down at the quidditch pitch." Ginny headed out of the great hall.

"I see that age reduction hasn't improved your manners. I suppose I should go look in the restricted section for information on dark marks when Blaise gets back." Hermione cooed at me. I turned my head away from her stubbornly before shutting my eyes. I just needed a little more sleep.

I awoke not more than ten minutes later to the sound of raised indignant voices. I listened carefully, trying not to wriggle and give away that I was awake.

"..Give him back to his mother." A voice argued.

"We can't.." Another voice yelled.

"What's the worst that could happen?" A third voice chimed in and I realised they were arguing about me.

"Draco is awake." Hermione said whilst sitting me up on her lap.

"I'll take him." Blaise quickly took me from her before she could say otherwise. "Before you morons get him killed."

"That will be quite enough. Young Mister Malfoy will be returned to his parents should he stand a chance of surviving." Blaise started to give an outraged yell. "Nothing will change this decision, Mister Longbottom will return Mister Malfoy to his mother at the edge of the forbidden forest. Now." Professor McGonagall ordered.

Neville took me from Blaise and allowed Hermione to get me back into the swaddle so I was unable to wriggle from Neville's grasp. I whined in protest as Neville held me against his chest and headed out of the castle.

"I can see your mother from here. No need to throw a fit Draco." Neville said and rubbed my back in a soothing manner. I swallowed the urge to head butt him and instead shut my eyes so at least I wouldn't have to look at him.

"Draco." Mom said quietly, taking my into her arms. She kissed my head. "My baby."

"Here." Neville said, passing her the teddy snake I received.

"Thank you." Mom said to him and headed right into the forest.

It made me nervous being in the forest but quickly she stopped.

"Lucius." Mom said.

"I'm here." He replied.

Suddenly Mom dropped to the floor. I hit my head on a rock and the world turned black.

_Thanks for reading my short Happy New Year update! Please review if you would like me to write more (suggestions welcome) and check out my newest story 'In The Serpents Snare' if you have time! Rx_


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